LINPAC Packaging

New flexible packaging films launched

2012-02-23T04:59:00.000-08:00

In line with our new Fresh Thinking Innovation strategy we have launched two new PP films for fresh meat, poultry and fish packaging solutions.
Both film solutions, LINtop PP HB Lock Seal and LINtop PP HB Peelable, guarantee to meet the best shelf life targets in the PP market, helping manufacturers, retailers and consumers reduce food waste and spoilage - critical in today’s cost conscious recessionary marketplace.
Manufactured at our Pontivy flexible films site in France, both product solutions are formulated to seal on a variety of PP trays, run smoothly in machines and seal through contamination to ensure a safe and secure pack is created.
The lock seal film option is available in two gauges, 35µ and 42µ, with the 35µ being one of the lowest gauges on the market, resulting in cost savings and a low carbon footprint in line with retailers’ sustainability strategies. LINtop PP HB Lock Seal outperforms other films’ anti-fog qualities and has excellent transparency to give good on-shelf presentation.
LINPAC Packaging’s LINtop PP HB Peelable film offers safe and easy peelability, coming away from the tray in one piece. It is in line with the best market offerings for anti-fog efficiency and oxygen barrier and outperforms most films for transparency qualities.
The new films have been carefully engineered to ensure they are fit for purpose and perform to a high standard while having a low gauge to minimise their environmental footprint.
We are committed to driving our fresh thinking innovation strategy to meet the needs of food manufacturers, retailers and consumers. We feel that we have achieved that in designing these new innovative, market leading films. LINtop film solutions are easy to handle and complement a wide range of PP trays driving efficiency on the factory floor; providing a long shelf-life to food products, helping retailers reduce their waste, as well as keeping food fresh and looking attractive for longer which will ultimately encourage consumers to buy.

Fresh thinking during hard times

2012-01-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

Following a year of fluctuating raw material and energy costs we have moved to put a fresh innovation strategy in place to support customers during volatile market conditions.
In the past month, polymer prices have risen sharply - the cost of both PET and PS rose by approximately €100 per metric ton – and we predict the cost of all polymers will continue to increase through the first half of 2012.
In response to the forecasts, we are investing in developing more cost-effective solutions for customers which are lighter and more sustainable and yet retain all the qualities which make them fit for purpose.
Bart Stubbe, VP Purchasing at LINPAC Packaging, tells us: “We are in the process of developing fresh ideas and high-quality products using the minimum amount of material needed for packaging to effectively protect, preserve and present food. At LINPAC Packaging we have significantly improved our process technologies and are working towards step change improvements in the reduction of rigid tray weights.
“Not only does this help our customers during challenging economic times, it also addresses theirs and consumers’ environmental concerns. This fresh thinking within LINPAC Packaging means that we are committed to delivering cost-effective and innovative packaging solutions which will keep us at the forefront of our industry.”
Bart also said: “The year on year average, for the last three years, for most polymers has continued to increase, and this trend is set to continue.
“Our fresh thinking ethos extends from the products we offer to the way we run our business. Ensuring we have a sustainable business operation in place is key to our success and that of our customers.”

By Jo Stephenson

Vice President of Marketing and Innovation

Celebrating 8,727 accident free days

2012-01-24T03:44:00.000-08:00

We have set a new record for its health and safety success by racking up more than 8,700 lost time accident free days in its manufacturing and sales and distribution sites across Europe, South America and China.
As of the December 31, 2011, LINPAC Packaging have achieved a total of 8,727 lost time accident free days for its 3000+ people employed throughout our 18 manufacturing sites and numerous sales and distribution facilities - several sites alone each achieved 1,000 lost time accident free days.
The dramatic decline in accidents and incidents over the past three years has fed through straight to our bottom line for our investors but best of all we are keeping our people safe.
Mark Reynolds, Group HSHE and Energy Manager, tells us: "We began by gradually moving away from the idea that LINPAC Packaging simply had to deliver statutory requirements throughout the world to meet its targets, to a position where every LINPAC employee is fully aware of their roles and responsibilities to protect themselves and others. We have driven our core strategy of continuous improvement to ensure that all accident, incidents and near misses are fully investigated and closed out through a seven step programme which is subsequently communicated to, and adopted by all our sites worldwide.
"LINPAC Packaging has transformed the company’s safety record by delivering a rigorous strategy that encourages behavioural change and their mandatory 30-second risk assessment programme, which quickly identifies hazardous situations. This pre-task risk assessment is now embedded into the safety ethic of the whole work force."
Other key milestones of the company include:

Year-on-year decline on accidents well ahead of the industry average.
Overall equipment effectiveness pushing above world-class levels.
Employee involvement in improvement projects increased by more than 70%
Best in class attendance levels for a manufacturing, sales and distribution business.

Our health, safety, hygiene and environment (HSHE) performance would have been ‘business as usual’ with year on year incremental improvement, had we not taken a proactive approach to implement a ‘step change’ programme for safety improvement in all of our business.
HSHE is at the top of the operational excellence objectives for LINPAC Packaging across the globe. Within the deployment of our strategy, HSHE is the ‘first in line’ when it comes to setting corporate and personal objectives and we have delivered this strategic approach to improvement through direct action in all of our factories, distribution centres and sales offices.
As well as introducing significant cultural change in our multi cultural working environment, LINPAC Packaging has also witnessed an improvement in productivity following the reduction in down time associated with accidents. As an added value for our investors, we have also reduced our 'risk profile' and this has helped us to reduce insurance costs significantly in a ‘rising cost’ market.

By John Jones

Group HR & HSHE Director

New addition to our Rfresh tray range

2012-01-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

We have added to our range of sustainable trays for meat and fish products with the launch of Rfresh® MB.
The new rPET trays contain up to 95% food grade post-consumer recyclate, giving customers a wider choice of environmentally sound packaging options which do not compromise on tray performance.
We have created a tray which offers excellent barrier performance, ideally suited to poultry and fish products, helping retailers reduce food spoilage and waste by keeping food fresher for longer. A PP base film layer provides for stronger seal integrity and the tray can have either a lock seal or peelable film solution.
The packaged foodstuffs are well protected due to the tray’s rigidity, ensuring that the product reaches the consumer in the best possible condition.
Jo Stephenson, Vice President for Marketing and Innovation, says: "The new Rfresh MB trays complement our existing range of Rfresh PET trays which provide the same high quality performance our customers see with trays made from virgin material.
"The recycled material used in their manufacture goes through our food grade super cleaning system to ensure we are not only meeting but exceeding food safety regulations.
"Our customers can feel absolutely confident when choosing the Rfresh MB tray for their meat, poultry or fish products, that the packaging offers high standards in terms of product presentation, protection and environmental credentials."
The Rfresh MB trays are a new addition to our family of Rfresh tray products complementing the premium Rfresh HB solution and standard Rfresh PP trays. All three are available in a choice of colours and tints and have been specifically designed to make the packing process more efficient.
Rfresh HB trays are also made from 95% recycled PET and offer the maximum shelf life for red meat and fish. The trays are available in a shallow format for shingling on shelf. The Rfresh PP trays contain a minimum amount of recycled content and offer a relatively low shelf life compared to others in the range, but they are suitable for use in the microwave and freezer.
Jo says: "We are delighted that we now have a complete range of trays which meet the needs of our customers, whichever meat, fish or poultry product it is they are packing or selling. At LINPAC Packaging, we have a sales team who can advise on which tray is the right one for them to ensure they get the very best out of our products."

Check out our lovely new website

2011-12-21T03:08:00.000-08:00

Did we tell you we have a lovely new shiny website? Well we have - if you head over to www.linpacpackaging.com you can see our new online profile which neatly reflects out our vision and fresh thinking approach to the future.
The website includes brand new content in 13 languages to appeal to LINPAC’s global customer base, as well as external audiences from around the world. It has a new contemporary look and feel and enables customers to easily search for new products and services and explains LINPACs unique multi-material approach to fresh food primary packaging design.
The new site provides customers with information on the company’s corporate social responsibility, including their environmental and health and safety policies, as well as providing useful learning resources for training and education establishments and for the general public on the packaging, plastics and food industries.
Joanna Stephenson, Vice President Marketing and Innovation at LINPAC Packaging, says: "We are delighted to launch our new website which reflects the heavy investment we are making as an organisation into our communication tools. Our website now enables a new level of interaction with our customers, suppliers, communities and the general public and we believe that the site reflects our brand promise in its truest sense.
"LINPAC Packaging is striving to be a fresh thinking, innovative company and is working hard with our employees, customers and suppliers to provide excellence in everything we do. Combining our values with our general e-media strategy, will enable us to drive up the amount of communication and support we can provide to our stakeholders now and into the future."
We hope you’ll agree that the new website is user-friendly and is rather more social with links to our presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as the LINPAC blog.
Our online presence has grown significantly over the past nine months, with the launch of our fresh thinking campaign, and has provided us with a multitude of platforms to communicate with our stakeholders. LINPAC prides itself on market leading innovation and we are keen to embrace all new forms of communication to drive our industry forward on topics as diverse as the use of recycled materials to education and training.

By Barbara Laing

Fancy an internship with LINPAC Packaging?

2011-12-16T04:13:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that weare offering two new internships to undergraduates or recent graduates lookingto kick start their career with an innovative manufacturing company like LINPACPackaging.

The paid placements will begin in 2012 with flexible start dates and workingperiods. The successful applicants will work with the central innovation teamon two key projects during their internship, which will enable them to gain agreater understanding of today’s manufacturing industry and develop skills thatwill enable them to become valuable contributors at LINPAC or othermanufacturing organisations in the future.

We are committed to employeetraining and education and recognise that developing skilled people isessential if LINPAC Packaging is to remain competitive, efficient and productiveand of course, to maintain our position as an innovator in the packaging sector.

We very much look at the long-termplan and, as part of our ‘fresh thinking’ ethos, we continually strive toencourage all our employees to complete training on an ongoing basis. Thesuccess of any business is down to its people and these internships are a greatway to bring new talent into our LINPAC Packaging family.

We have sites across the world andthe Interns will have the opportunity to work at many of the company’s sites inEurope for weeks at a time. Applicantsshould be studying towards or have recently completed a scientific, industrialdesign or engineering degree level qualification and language capabilities aredesirable but not essential.

The roles and responsibilities arevaried but a key part of the internships are supporting two projects which relateto quality control, monitoring competitor activity and building a database ofLINPAC products and tooling which can be used by the innovation, sales andmarketing teams.

While people don’t need to haverelated experience, some knowledge of manufacturing would be desirable. We arelooking for people who are comfortable with analytical work and have theability to carry out research and present findings clearly to senior members ofstaff. These internships are a fantasticopportunity for someone starting out in their career or wanting to build ontheir experience, whilst working with a company which is a leader in thepackaging sector.

For more information email info@LINPACPackaging.com

Joanna Stephenson

Plastic packaging is practical, efficient, inexpensive, safe and good for the environment

2011-11-30T03:25:00.001-08:00

The case for plastic is gathering pace with the latest research just in from Austrian independent consulting firm Denkstatt, which has been advising national and international the issue of sustainability.
According to Denkstatt plastic packaging is not only practical, efficient, inexpensive and safe, but replacing it by alternative material would have a severe negative impact for the economy and the environment.
According to the Denkstatt study The Impact of Plastic Packaging on Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions:
Substituting plastic packaging with alternative materials would increase the total packaging mass by an average factor 3.6.
Life-cycle energy demand would increase by a factor 2.2, i.e. 1,240 million GJ per year, which is equivalent to 27 Mt of crude oil or 20 million heated homes.
GHG emissions would increase by a factor 2.7 or by 61 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year, which is comparable to 21 million cars on the road or to the CO2-emissions of Denmark.
According to Denkstatt, all seven investigated plastic packaging sectors show environmental advantages compared to the mix of alternative materials. The benefits in the use-phase substantially contribute to this positive result, while those of recycling and recovery are often higher as well.
But plastics’ added value does not end up there. When used to pack fresh food, they prevent at least 10 % more food losses than alternative packaging materials, which means 22 million tonnes of CO2 savings, the study reveals. In the case of meat, for instance, the emission savings allowed by the prevented food loss are 13 times higher than the CO2 emissions caused by plastic packaging.

Alan joins Santa's Little Helpers and raises cash for the Samaritans

2011-11-30T02:52:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Alan Davey, LINPAC Packaging’s Director of Innovations who helped raise more than £1,000 for the Samaritans at the weekend collecting cash from travellers at York City Station at the weekend.
Alan really got into the Christmas spirit dressed as one of Santa’s little helpers. All Elf & Safety rules applied.

The End of a Myth! Polystyrene foam is good for the environment

2011-11-24T08:06:00.001-08:00

A big 'hat tip' to Canadian company Cascades, which produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products composed mainly of recycled fibres and plastics.
As an industry the packaging sector is dogged by myths about plastics and other materials and their affect on the environment - see earlier posts here, here and here - and that’s just what they are... myths.
No Cascades has released the results of a life cycle analysis (LCA) conducted by CIRAIG that calculates the ecological footprint for various food packaging trays made from six types of plastic and molded pulp originating from its own plants. Putting an end to the myth, the results actually demonstrate that Cascades polystyrene foam is a good choice for the environment!
The LCA results support the finding that for food packaging trays, the amount of material and type of energy used are the factors that have the most impact on the environment, while the end of life has little impact. Polystyrene foam, made of over 90 percent air, has an irrefutable ecological advantage, despite the fact that it is rarely recycled.
For the items studied, this material produced the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire product life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life. In addition, using recycled materials in the fabrication of food packaging trays, as is the case with the RPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) and molded pulp, results in tangible environmental benefits, as doing so reduces the impact resulting from raw material extraction.
Luc Langevin, President and COO of Cascades Specialty Products Group, says: "This analysis provides a new perspective on food packaging. The environmental performance of our trays is much better than popular belief. Polystyrene foam can now be part of our environmental packaging solution.”
This LCA was designed to determine the environmental impact of food packaging trays. Seven types of packaging materials were considered, including foamed and oriented polystyrene (XPS and OPS), standard and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET and RPET), polylactic acid polymer (PLA), polypropylene (PP) and finally molded pulp made of recycled newspapers and telephone books.
The analysis undertaken on Cascades' behalf has permitted the identification of those aspects with the greatest impact throughout the life cycle of different products.
"These findings have us taking stock of our current situation so that we can better understand our impact and thereby improve our efforts to reduce the environmental footprint left by our products," said Mr Langevin.

WRAP reports significant progress on waste reduction

2011-11-15T08:46:00.001-08:00

Speaking at WRAP’s annual conference today, Chief Executive Dr Liz Goodwin published results of the organisation’s work over the past three years and set out its future agenda.
She revealed that WRAP has met all its published major targets, having helped keep 11 million tonnes of waste out of landfill, avoid 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions and generate £2bn of benefits to the UK economy, including £1.8bn of cost savings.
As an important part of the information reporting on progress in the last three years, WRAP published new research which showed a sharp fall in household food waste by 13% but showed we still throw away edible food worth £12bn a year.
Dr Goodwin, commenting on the food waste figures, said that the fall in household food waste since 2006/07 from 8.3 million tonnes to 7.2 million tonnes per year was very welcome and probably due to a range of factors. However, there was a big job still to be done given the food we waste in homes alone is worth £12bn a year, and food wasted throughout the supply chain was ‘significant’ at a time when food security was a major global issue.
She also announced the results of the first major research into the benefits of greater reuse of materials such as textiles. This showed, she said, that there would be significant gains for both UK jobs and the environment through reusing goods and services more, rather than just throwing them away.
Dr Goodwin said she was very proud of the contribution WRAP is making to help business and families find cost savings and identify growth opportunities for the UK economy, given the current severe financial pressures we all face.
She said: "All the governments of the UK which fund our work have the goal of moving swiftly towards a zero waste society. Their priority is to find ways of tackling waste – including food waste – and keep scarce resources in use for as long as possible.
"This is where WRAP’s work comes into play."
She added: "WRAP’s work in supporting families and business in wasting less and recycling more is well known. Less well known is the ground-breaking research and technological innovation we have pioneered which supports the UK economy through major breakthroughs in resource efficiency that deliver cost savings.”
Food waste, recycling services for businesses, and encouraging greater reuse of scarce resources will be the top priorities for WRAP over the next three years.
The Benefits of Reuse report can be found here. The household food waste figures report can be found here. Towards Resource Efficiency - WRAP Business Plan 2008-11 A Report on Impact can be found here.
The Love Food Hate Waste website can be found here www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Alan Davey on Pack TV

2011-11-14T07:57:00.001-08:00

Alan Davey, Director of Innovation at LINPAC packaging, talks on Fresh Thinking on the Environment and Product Safety.

Jo Stephenson on PackTV

2011-11-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

Jo Stephenson, LINPAC Packaging'sVice President for Marketing, presenting at LINPAC's Fresh Seminar

Visit the LINPAC Outlet Store on Ebay

2011-11-10T04:03:00.000-08:00

At LINPAC Packaging we are pleased to announce that we have launched our very own Outlet Store on Ebay
The LINPAC Outlet Store offers a wide range of quality trays which are end of line products and offers a fantastic opportunity to buy good quality trays at heavily reduced prices.
As well as the fantastic deals on this page, we have other products ready to be snapped up for more information contact customer services on 01977 692400.

By Barbara Laing

Packaging is the solution in achieving a resource efficient society

2011-11-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

News just in - A Green Paper resulting from a broad stakeholder consultation on the topic of Packaging and Sustainability has been published today by EUROPEN. The paper concludes that packaging should be seen as part of the solution in achieving a resource efficient society.
In an open dialogue between stakeholders on packaging’s role in society, the industry body sought opinions on the goals the packaging value chain should seek to achieve. Representatives of environmental NGO’s, the European Commission, The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, retailers and retailer trade associations and EUROPEN’s corporate members were among stakeholders involved in shaping and endorsing the contents of the Green Paper.
Participants recognised the essential contribution to sustainable production and consumption that packaging makes by helping reduce product waste and protect resources while acknowledging that packaging consumes resources along all the stages of the supply chain. The Green Paper examines core questions about the place that packaging plays in the drive towards sustainable production and consumption and offers insightful perspectives to the varied questions that must be asked in order to obtain an 'optimum packaging design' for a product, with the lowest possible environmental impact.
In the process of developing the paper, participants considered seven key questions surrounding the subject of material selection, packaging design, consumer choice, transport, end-of-life, communication along the value chain and innovative business models. A broad consensus was reached on the role of packaging in ensuring health and safety of food products as a precondition and in preventing food waste and product loss. In particular, stakeholders recognised the need for the packaging value chain to adapt to demographic and lifestyle changes by developing strategies to help various market segments. For instance, there was broad support of the need for smaller portion sizes if a decrease in food waste is to be achieved.
EUROPEN’s Managing Director Julian Carroll said "the Green Paper, which brought together the opinions of broad sectors of society, not just industry, will serve EUROPEN and hopefully other stakeholders as a reference point in further discussions about Packaging and Sustainability. Packaging is part of the solution, not part of a problem, in achieving a resource efficient society, and this paper will support us to deliver that message to consumers, policy makers and key opinion formers."
You can download the white paper here.

What a great day at Fresh! Birmingham

2011-10-28T05:09:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent turn out in Birmingham yesterday for our Fresh! European Packaging Seminar - one of several we are running across Europe.
The next seminars are on Thursday, November 17 at the Hyatt Regency Mainz, Frankfurt and on Thursday, November 22 at the Paris Hyatt Regency – for more details check out our earlier blog.
Feedback from our guests has been fantastic and we are already planning next year’s Fresh! Seminars programme. However, for those of you who missed the Birmingham event we are pleased to show case the presentations here.
First up is David Smith of Global Futures & Foresights who gave a fascinating insight into the trends that are emerging around the globe which are going to impact on your business and what it will mean for those operating in the packaging sector.
Our very own Jo Stephenson gave a detailed presentation on innovation in packaging and how, by embracing new design and technology, packers and retailers can gain a significant competitive advantage.
Our guest speaker, Jim Armstrong from Wellman Recycling, offered an overview of emerging trends in the world of plastics recycling.
LINPAC’s Director of Innovation, Alan Davey gave a robust defence of the plastic packaging sector calmly cutting through all the hysteria surrounding packaging waste and emphasizing it’s benign effect on the environment. Alan cut through all the myths surrounding plastics and clearly laid out the main environmental challenges for the future: food waste and climate change.
We also had a compelling presentation from Dr Deborah O’Connell of the York Plasma Institute at the University of York where we have a close working relations on new packaging technologies. Deborah showed how new plasma technologies could revolutionise printing and coatings in the packaging sector.
Finally, David gave a compelling overview of what organisations had to do in the future in order to succeed and thrive. In short you need to identify the entrepreneurs, leaders and managers within your organisation and embrace change.
We hope you enjoy some the presentations below.

Jim Armstrong - What's New in Recycling

Alan Davey - Plastics & Packaging: Safer for the Consumer and the Environment

Dr Deborah O'Connell - Plasma Coating Technology & Packaging

Some pictures from Fresh! Packaging Seminar in Warsaw

2011-10-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from our recent Fresh! European Packaging Seminar in Warsaw. From top to bottom we have some of the delegates name tages and press pack; Adam Barnett, VP Sales for LINPAC Packaging; Futuroligist and guest speaker David Smith; our guests and delegates; LINPAC Packaging Chief Executive David Meldrum and Jo Stephenson, VP Marketing at LINPAC Packaging.

Alan Davey on the green solution

2011-10-05T02:14:00.000-07:00

CEE Packaging caught up with Alan Davey at our Fresh! conference in Warsaw last week. During his talk Alan argued that if packaging were invented today then it would be considered as a very green solution. In this film Alan explains why he has come to this conclusion.

Packaging’s role in preventing food waste not recognised

2011-10-04T04:12:00.000-07:00

Last week’s announcement by the Government - that it will ban some food labels which it believes encourage food to be unnecessarily discarded - may not solve the problem according to INCPEN.
A new survey, conducted on INCPEN’s behalf by Ipsos MORI in September 2011, found that only 26 per cent of people agreed that food waste is a bigger environmental problem than packaging waste, whereas twice as many (52 per cent) disagreed.
That is despite the fact that ten times more resources go into producing food than into the packaging which protects it. And without the protection of packaging there would be much more food wasted.
The Government needs to explain to consumers that wasting food is a very serious environmental problem and far bigger than throwing away the few grams of packaging that made sure the food arrived safely. Especially when there are recycling collections for most (over 80 per cent) of that packaging.
"The Government’s own Waste Policy Review 2011 acknowledges that packaging fulfils an important role in avoiding spoilage in the supply system and in the home," says INCPEN Director Jane Bickerstaffe. "It also says that the carbon footprint of packaging is dwarfed by that of the products it contains. Both industry and Government need to help consumers understand that."

What we've been talking about at Fresh! Packaging Seminar Series

2011-10-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Break through in plastic recycling!

2011-09-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

NEWS JUST IN: It could soon be possible to recycle almost all plastic packaging waste from home, according to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Despite more than 300,000 tonnes of plastic packaging being collected for recycling each year, more than a million tonnes still ends up going to landfill because of the difficulty of collecting and recycling films, the difficulty in detecting and sorting black plastics and the lack of high value markets for non-bottle plastics.
But, a series of trials funded by WRAP have ‘for the first time’ identified methods of recycling black plastics, complex laminated plastics, plastic films, and polypropylene (PP) that would typically be destined for landfill.
By using non-carbon pigments in the manufacture of black plastics, it is possible to create a material that is almost identical in colour, but can be identified by the optical sorting equipment used by many MRFs. This could lead to the widespread recycling of the most common plastic used in packaging, says WRAP, which adds that feedback from retailers has been encouraging, and the plastic trays could be recycled into high value single-polymer materials. Click here for the full report.
Another study has seen the development of a technique that could recycle post-consumer PP back in to material suitable for food-grade applications. More work is still needed, but WRAP believes this could help to grow high value markets for recycled PP, following a similar path to that developed by rHDPE and rPET. It could also deliver higher environmental benefits as retailers and brands start to use it in their packaging.
Meanwhile, work done by The Co-operative Group and Sainsbury’s in conjunction with WRAP has identified a variety of uses for plastic films recycled in-store by customers and staff. These applications include bags for life, in-store signage and external cladding.
A system has also been developed that cleans and recycles contaminated film, producing a pellet which WRAP says has a sales value of £400 to £500 per tonne. With the cost of sending this material to landfill currently £80 per tonne, WRAP claims the advantages of recycling this material 'are clear'.
Marcus Gover, director of closed loop economy at WRAP, said: "When we first looked at recycling non-bottle plastic packaging back in 2007, we carried out detailed studies to make sure it would be technically and economical viable.
"We also carried out a thorough life-cycle assessment to make sure it was the best environmental option. We’re now seeing this recycling becoming a reality, creating jobs and re-invigorating the manufacturing industry in the UK reducing our reliance on exports.
"There have been, and there are still, barriers to overcome and WRAP will continue to work closely with the industry to develop these new methods and technologies so that, in the future, local authorities can offer their residents a way of recycling even more of their plastic packaging."

Some good points from our colleagues in the paper sector

2011-09-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

David Workman, director general for the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), makes many good points about the importance of promoting wider benefits of packaging in general
He makes that packaging is the vital supply chain component that makes today’s consumer-orientated society tick. "Everyday items such as breakfast cereals and toothpaste, the occasional purchase of electrical goods or products ordered from the internet need to arrive with the consumer in a pristine state. Indeed the consumer demands it," he says.
For food and drink products, long shelf life is a requirement with low wastage rates between packer filler and consumer. Packaging provides the solution. We couldn’t agree more and as we have said on the LINPAC Packaging blog in the past if packaging were to suddenly disappear the retail sector would collapse within days, brand owners would no longer be able to differentiate their products, and society as we know it would very quickly degenerate into chaos, with widespread shortages of even the most essential items.
In an article in Packaging Today David asks: "Why then does the mere mention of the word packaging evoke such hostility, especially from environmentalists? The answer in my view lies partly with packaging companies themselves who do little to promote the generic value of packaging per se, preferring instead to promote the exclusive benefits of their own products.
"I would also ask what role the retailers, packer fillers and brand owners play in promoting packaging. After all, their very existence depends upon it."
David then goes on to make several good points:
Do people realise, for instance, that modern packaging and distribution systems mean that supply chain food wastage rates in the UK are amongst the lowest in the world, at about 3% compared with counties like Russia and India, where it is about 40%?
It is seldom recognised that the recycling rate for UK packaging waste has risen from 28% in 1998 to 67% in 2010. As a result, many materials have a very high recycled content level - in the case of corrugated cases, the average figure is 76%.
Is it well known that over the last 10 years we have virtually decoupled the growth in packaging from economic growth? This has been achieved through a combination of capital investment in the latest technology, innovative design and lightweighting.
The UK is arguably the world leader in packaging design. Within CPI membership, we believe that about 400 people are employed in a packaging design or innovation capacity.
The packaging industry also makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. According to the Packaging Federation, it employs 85,000 people, with a sales revenue in excess of £11 billion. Productivity is more than double that of the average for UK manufacturing.
David concludes: "Promoting our industry to politicians and civil servants is crucial. We are entering a phase of significant legislative activity on a number of different fronts which will almost certainly lead to increases in raw material, energy and transport costs.
"The costs associated with achieving carbon reduction targets will also be immense (incidentally, why do we always penalise carbon emissions, which are falling, rather than carbon consumption, which is rising?).
"Packaging not only makes a valuable contribution to the UK’s economy, but to the environment as well. It protects and preserves all manner of products, ensuring that consumers continue to enjoy a wide degree of choice in the things they purchase."

Sell-by dates should be removed from food packaging

2011-09-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

We were interested in the latest news on the BBC that sell-by dates should be removed from food packaging to help cut waste and save shoppers money.
The UK throws away about £12bn of edible food each year and critics say confusing packaging is partly to blame.
New government advice says firms should include only use-by or best-before dates and remove sell-by and display-until labels relating to stock control.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says five million tonnes of edible food is discarded by UK households annually - the equivalent of £680 for a household with children.
Confusion over food labelling was responsible for an estimated £750m of the £12bn edible-food wastage each year.
The Food Standards Agency said: "There are products that have several dates on them; use by, best before. Sometimes it says 'display until', which is not relevant at all by the time it's sitting in your fridge.”
Compliance with the new guidance is not required by law, although Defra says businesses are legally bound to label food with either a use-by or best-before date.
Its guidance says foods likely to require a use-by date - meaning they could become dangerous to eat - include soft cheese, ready-prepared meals and smoked fish.
Foods likely to require only a best-before date - meaning they may lose quality but are still safe to consume - include biscuits, jams, pickles, crisps and tinned foods.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman: "People are confused about food labelling"
The guidance was produced in consultation with food manufacturers, supermarkets, trade associations, consumer groups and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
It’s good to see that the authorities are waking up to the fact that the bulk of waste in the UK is made up of discarded food while packaging waste accounts for just three per cent of landfill. See earlier post on this – showing that packaging waste has fallen by 57 per cent.

Survey shows people 'get' recycling but not energy saving

2011-09-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

A new survey, conducted on INCPEN’s behalf by Ipsos MORI in July 2011, shows that half of GB adults have heard and understood the messages about recycling their waste. However the wider and arguably more important changes in behaviour which would impact the environment positively - especially lower energy use - remain less well understood.
When asked to choose up to three options from a list of things that people can do to help protect and improve the environment, over half (52%) chose ‘recycle bottles, cans, paper and other materials’, the highest number of responses. By contrast, just 15% chose ‘turn down the home heating’ and only 22% chose ‘make fewer car journeys’ and ‘use public transport’.
For some reason, men were significantly more likely (18%) than women (13%) to choose ‘turn down home heating’.
Critically, central heating/hot water is the second highest factor (24%) in a household’s total impact on the environment (source: J M Kooijman, Environmental impact of packaging: performance in the household) yet turning down the heating was ranked at only 11th place on the list of options.
In reality, measures to save energy offer the biggest environmental benefits, far greater than sorting out bottles and cans for recycling - although we need to do that too, of course.
Director of INCPEN, Jane Bickerstaffe said, "It’s good to see that people now realise there are lots of other things, as well as recycling, that they can do to live more sustainably. However they are still not sure which actions make the most difference. Policy makers need to tell them where the biggest benefits are."

Register now for Fresh! Seminars

2011-09-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

You can now book online to attend Fresh! Packaging Seminar Series which are being held across Europe through September to November.
Confirmed dates so far are:In support of meat, bakery, fruit and produce packers and retailers, we will be running five free-of-charge, invitation-only, seminars to provide fresh thinking for the packaging industry and deliver insights on future trends in food retailing, technology, safety and the environment. Book now for the following seminars:
Thursday, September 29 - Warsaw, Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Conference Centre
Thursday 6th October - Madrid, Hotel Meliá Avenida América
Thursday 27th October - Birmingham, Hilton Birmingham Metropole
Thursday 10th November - Paris, Hyatt Regency Paris
Thursday 17th November - Frankfurt / Mainz, Hyatt Regency Mainz

REGISTER HERE

Dates confirmed for Fresh! seminars

2011-08-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to confirm the dates for our forthcoming Fresh! Packaging Seminar Series to be held across Europe through September to November.
Confirmed dates so far are:

Thursday, September 29 - Warsaw
Thursday, October 6 - Madrid
Thursday, October 27 - Birmingham
Thursday, November 10 - Paris
Thursday, November 17 - Frankfurt

In support of meat, bakery, fruit and produce packers and retailers, we will be running five free-of-charge, invitation-only, seminars to provide fresh thinking for the packaging industry and deliver insights on future trends in food retailing, technology, safety and the environment.
Venues have yet to be agreed but we will keep you posted on the blog and on our twitter feed.

We're launching Fresh! Packaging Seminars

2011-08-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce that we are launching our new Fresh! Packaging Seminar Series to be held across Europe during this Autumn 2011.
In support of meat, bakery, fruit and produce packers and retailers, we will be running five free-of-charge, invitation-only, seminars in Paris, Madrid, Warsaw, Frankfurt and Birmingham to provide fresh thinking for the packaging industry and deliver insights on future trends in food retailing, technology, safety and the environment.
As a major innovator and thought-leader in the packaging industry, we are keen to support our customer base in these volatile economic times. We aim to bring new insights into the potential future shape of the packaging industry and what customers need to do to remain competitive and efficient.
From changes in the retailing landscape to new materials innovation, a range of key industry speakers will share their experience to show what 2020 and beyond may look like and how packers and retailers can grow their businesses to meet the challenges of the future.
Joanna Stephenson, vice president, marketing & innovation, said: "As a company we know that an extended recession makes focussing on the future difficult but we also know that the best business ideas have historically been born out of challenging times. At LINPAC we are keen to share our thoughts and those of renowned industry speakers, to support our customer base in driving efficiency, safety and innovation to benefit the entire packaging value chain."
Follow us on twitter and on our blog for further details.

By LINPAC Packaging

2011-08-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

We've scooped business award for second time

2011-07-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

We've been recognised for our commitment to staff development and training once again after winning the Wakefield District Business ‘People Make Performance’ Award for a second time.
The Wakefield District Business Awards showcase the cream of the city’s industry and commerce. LINPAC Packaging, with our headquarters in Knottingley and a major manufacturing base in nearby Featherstone, first picked up the award in 2009.
Judges praised ours continued commitment to the professional development of ourworkforce during challenging business conditions and our acknowledgement that skilled people are essential for the company to remain competitive, efficient and productive, and at the forefront of its sector.
We were also recognised for ourforward planning to avoid a skills shortage by ensuring that there is a succession of employees being trained with the knowledge and skills to allow them to rise through the ranks to replace natural staff turnover.
Barbara Laing, divisional communications manager at LINPAC Packaging, said: "We are extremely proud to be receiving this award for the second time. It shows that our staff training and development strategy is not a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ approach but something we recognise as having a key part to play in making our business a success both now and in the future.
"Access to learning is available to employees at all levels and in all departments, from the factory floor to the boardroom, and we support employees doing a wide range of qualifications, from NVQs to Masters to job specific, bespoke training courses."
Barbara added: "With our headquarters and one of our largest manufacturing sites in Wakefield, it is also great to be recognised by the local community in this way.”
The awards evening was hosted by the BBC’s Clare Frisby and held at the Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield. Roman Manthey, group operations director for Coca-Cola Enterprises was guest speaker.

By LINPAC Packaging

Don't forget the Fish & Chip Awards

2011-07-11T03:57:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t entered the 2012 National Fish & Chip Awards, which LINPAC Packaging sponsors, you need to get your skates on (pun intended) as the closing date for entries (Friday, Jul 29) is fast approaching.
The National Fish & Chip Awards celebrated its 23rd birthday in January 2011. This prestigious competition continues to celebrate the great British tradition that is fish and chips, and reward outstanding businesses across a variety of award categories.
The National Fish & Chip Awards are the ultimate showcase for our wonderful industry and we would strongly recommend that the owners of all ambitious and progressive fish and chip shops and fish and chip restaurants enter the competition.
The fish and chip market will continue to face severe competition from a broad spectrum of other takeaway food markets, therefore the positive publicity that you can generate for your business, by entering the awards and by taking advantage of publicity opportunities, will help you to increase your sales in the intensely competitive market place for takeaway food.
Regional finalists can see their turnover increase by up to 30%. Regional winners’ turnover can increase by up to 50%.
National winners have seen their turnover increase by as much as 100%!
At every stage of the awards there are local PR and marketing opportunities for your business as well. Anyway good luck to all of you who enter.

By LINPAC Packaging

Packaging gets support in Parliamentary debate

2011-07-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Mark Pawsey MP for Rugby on leading a thoroughly insightful and detailed Parliamentary debate on Future Prospects for the Packaging Industry. Mark Pawsey represented our industry superbly and we are now very much seen as 'an integral part of the green economy'.
Mr Pawsey certainly knows what he is talking about having previously been the owner of a Rugby-based business which provided packaging to the food service industry and prompted
Mark Prisk, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, to suggest that packaging now had a platform to join the Green Council. The turnover of the industry exceeds £11 billion, consisting of 85,000 employees making up 3% of the UK Manufacturing output.
Speaking at the debate Mr Pawsey said: "We all recognise packaging when we see it. It performs an important role in our lives. The container that food is sold in protects the product and reduces spoilage, keeping it fresher for longer. Packaging exists only because other products exist.
"First and foremost it is a delivery system for other products. As to its impact on the economy, the UK packaging manufacturing industry has a turnover exceeding £11 billion, with 85,000 employees, representing approximately 3% of all UK manufacturing output.
"It is recognised by the Minister’s Department as an important part of the green economy; it has a role as a major recycler and as a reuser of recycled material. The sector has contributed to raising the UK’s packaging waste recycling record over 10 years from just 28% in 1998 to 65% in 2008.
"I believe that I have some authority to speak on packaging because of my career background before entering Parliament. In 1979, as a 22-year-old fresh from university, I joined a company called Autobar Vending Supplies as a graduate trainee.
"The business's product range originally consisted of beverages for the drink vending sector, but also, importantly, included disposable plastic cups. The range of cups led the business into supplying a broader range of catering, disposable and food packaging items.
"As an aside, I draw attention to the fact that the model of that business is, regrettably, seen less frequently today; it was owned by an entrepreneur, who had a strategy of building up sales of a range of products to a level where it made sense to acquire a manufacturer or to start up manufacturing from scratch, so as to control quality and delivery, and retain the manufacturing profit. It is a shame that today the perceived complexities of running and managing manufacturing businesses mean that the strategy would probably involve sourcing the products in volume from an overseas manufacturer."
At LINPAC Packaging we couldn't agree more Mr Pawsey.
He also made some key points about how the packaging sector is key to the green economy:

The industry is a major recycler and re-user of recycled materials.
It has been a key contributor over the past 10 years in raising the UK packaging waste recycling record from 28% to 65% in 2008
Less than 3% of landfill waste is packaging.
Packaging is visible due to litter created by anti-social individuals the industry has come under a lot of criticism but the industry is working hard to educate the public, invest in street cleaning and put pressure on law enforcement.
The attention it receives is disproportionate and the industry feels it is being used as an easy target.
The carbon footprint of packaging is nearly always dwarfed by the product it is protecting.
Recycled material needs to be seen as a valuable resource that can be reused. For this reason it should not be sent abroad or to landfill.
The UK packaging industry is important to the UK as it providers of employment and exports.

He also pointed out that the UK packaging industry is a leading innovator in advanced technologies and is looking into products less dependent on oil.
EU and UK regulation puts the industry at a disadvantage especially in regards to food safety. Importing nations from outside the Eurozone do not have to comply with such tough regulations.
You can watch the whole debate here or download the transcript here. Thank you Mr Pawsey for putting the case for packaging.

By LINPAC Packaging

Welcome to Joanna

2011-07-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

A big welcome to Joanna Stephenson (right) who has joined LINPAC Packaging as Vice President of Marketing and Innovation.
Joanna joins the company following the promotion of Adam Barnett, who becomes Vice President of Sales.
Joanna will co-ordinate marketing activities across Europe for the division’s different product sectors, and will also lead on innovation - ensuring the company is producing packaging solutions tailored to customers’ needs.
Joanna has a wealth of experience of working in global markets, and joined LINPAC Packaging from Sun Chemical where she was European Marketing Director for Packaging for four years. Prior to that she was a consultant at rogenSi, which specialises in helping companies drive-up staff performance and productivity, and European Product Director at the Dow Chemical Company.
Joanna tells us: "I am really looking forward to the new role at LINPAC. The packaging industry is certainly facing some interesting times ahead, and ensuring we are delivering high quality innovative products, whilst managing the ever-increasing environmental concerns of customers and consumers, is vital to ensure LINPAC Packaging remains competitive and at the forefront of innovation."
Adam Barnett has been appointed Vice President of Sales after three years as Vice President of Marketing and Innovation. Adam has worked at LINPAC Packaging for 13 years - joining in 1998 as a Key Account Manager. In his new role he will take responsibility for managing LINPAC Packaging’s strategic relationships and partnerships with customers across Europe.
He says: "This is an exciting role as we enter an increasingly demanding economic climate where our customers are looking for world-class packaging solutions. We aim to ensure that, as a customer-facing organisation, our clients engage with LINPAC Packaging as a genuine strategic partner delivering real business benefits."
David Meldram, Managing Director of LINPAC Packaging, said: "I look forward to working with Joanna. Her marketing expertise will be a huge asset to our company.
"Adam’s new role comes in recognition of his ability and skills to lead LINPAC’s food packaging business through further growth as we continue to focus on delivering innovative products and services to our customers."

By LINPAC Packaging

Helping to cut costs

2011-07-06T04:16:00.000-07:00

You might be interested to know that we are talking to customers about how they can reduce the weight of their packaging, cut costs and market their products to consumers more effectively.
We are now able to offer printed films with a pitch of 1125mm so packers can use the most advanced wrapping machines on the market and increase the efficiency of their operations.
Customers can order the full package of trays and printed film from LINPAC Packaging, guaranteeing compatibility and efficiency.
LINPAC Packaging offers numerous printing options for both its stretch and barrier films, giving retailers and food manufacturers a cost-effective way to brand their products, add value and provide consumers with essential product information - such as ingredients, nutritional data and cooking instructions. Printing directly on to film removes the need for an additional cardboard sleeve and enables companies to reduce their carbon footprint by cutting the weight of the finished product and reducing the amount of packaging material used (and which ultimately has to be disposed of).
Manuella Cheny of LINPAC Packaging said: "We have three great offerings for the food industry - a wide range of packaging products, a compatible range of films and our printing facilities. This means we can offer customers an extremely cost-effective one-stop-shop solution.
"Using printed films increases the efficiency of the packing process and reduces the environmental impact by removing the need for cardboard sleeves or additional labelling. By offering a 1125mm pitch our customers can run printed films on the latest packaging machinery."
Regardless of whether the packaging design is traditional or contemporary, LINPAC’s printing capabilities cover its entire range of stretch and barrier films. Here’s all the technical stuff.
Printing options for the stretch film range - automatic or manual use, catering refills and cutter boxes - include flexo printing in up to eight colours, allowing for complex, high-quality graphics and designs. LINPAC uses water-based inks for its stretch film range which reduces the company’s environmental impact.
Customers using products from the barrier range - which includes lidding films, thermoforming films, flow pack applications, bags or ‘stand up’ pouches – for vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging can also choose from a range of options. These include Rotogravure printing in up to 10 colours, two-colour flash option, flexo printing in up to eight colours and eight-colour flash option, plus a wide choice of pitches - from 320mm to the maximum 1125mm.
To give their food products a more traditional look and feel, customers can choose from a plastic/paper laminate or a synthetic ‘paper’ laminated to a barrier film – which resembles the more traditional paper wrapper but has all the benefits of extended shelf life. This is ideal for cold meat slices, cheese and sandwiches, and the options are available for traditional lidding machines, as well as horizontal and vertical flow-wrap machines.

By LINPAC Packaging

We've won the People Make Performance award

2011-07-01T02:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all our colleagues at LINPAC Packaging in Yorkshire - last night we won the People make Performance award in the Wakefield First Business Awards.
The People make Performance Award recognised the company’s commitment to training and development and its staff award programme.
LINPAC Packaging’s head office is in Knottingley in the Wakefield district, and one of the firm’s largest manufacturing facilities is based at Featherstone, also in the Wakefield district.
We are delighted to win the ‘People make Performance Award’. One of the greatest strengths of our business is our people so it is great to have this recognised. We place a high value on training and helping staff to develop to their full potential. This not only benefits the company but also boosts staff morale and makes LINPAC Packaging a great place to work.
With our sites in Knottingley and Featherstone, we are very much part of the Wakefield business community. We are always keen to get involved whether it is by entering awards or getting involved in local charitable projects.

By LINPAC Packaging

Packaging waste has fallen by 57% says EUROPEN

2011-06-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

A new report on the analysis of official EU data on packaging shows that over the past 11 years the amount of packaging waste going to final disposal has fallen by 57%. Higher recycling levels and other forms of packaging waste recovery are largely the reasons says EUROPEN, the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment. In 2008 in the EU 27 member states just over 17 million tonnes of packaging were sent for final disposal. To put this into context, it is estimated that 89 million tonnes of food are currently wasted in the EU 27, more than five times the amount of packaging waste.
The analysis of data from 1998 to 2008 by EUROPEN also shows that growth in packaging waste is clearly decoupling from growth in GDP, an objective of the EU waste strategy. In the 11 year period studied, despite an ageing population and a trend throughout Europe towards smaller households (all of which led to the purchase of a greater number of packaged goods) the amount of packaging placed on the market (excluding wood packaging) rose by only 10% and the amount of packaging waste disposed of (also excluding wood) actually fell by 57% (see note 1).
The report: Packaging and Packaging Waste Statistics in Europe 1998-2008 contradicts widely held perceptions that packaging has led to a mountain of waste across Europe. Instead, it confirms an earlier EU Commission assessment of the EU Thematic Strategy on Waste Prevention and Recycling which showed that packaging waste from households and commercial sources accounts for only about three per cent of total waste.
Commenting on the findings in the report, EUROPEN Managing Director, Julian Carroll said: "The data supports our view that the 1994 Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste is clearly one of the most successful pieces of EU environmental legislation, something in which all participants can take pride. This is particularly true for consumers who, across the EU, are increasingly accepting the sorting of packaging in their homes for recycling as a routine activity."
The EU Directive set a 2008 recycling target of 55% to be reached by 12 member states with the remainder including the newer member states to reach the same target between 2011 and 2015. By 2008 three of the remainder had passed the 55% target and most others were approaching or already beyond a 50% recycling rate.
EUROPEN members, which are major companies producing consumer goods, packaging and packaging materials, are all stepping up their efforts to address packaging related sustainability issues individually and collectively in partnership with public initiatives such as the EU Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan. "Clearly, this success of the packaging value chain can be seen as an example of best practice for other industry sectors in their efforts to do more with less," said Julian Carroll, adding, "in the context of overall sustainability it is more and more evident that contrary to popular misconception, packaging should be regarded as part of the solution, not part of the problem and as a net contributor to achieving the broad sustainability goal of resource optimization and waste minimization".
The full 43 page report on the Analysis of Official EU Data on Packaging and Packaging Waste can be downloaded here.

By LINPAC Packaging

Polystyrene: Always read behind the headlines

2011-06-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes newspaper headlines can be terribly misleading. This week, in the US, we have seen a couple of reports regarding styrene and its potential carcinogenic properties following a report produced by the National Toxicology Program which added styrene to the list of substances that were believed to be possible carcinogens.
The Washington Post ran the story under the headline Formaldehyde, styrene among substances deemed carcinogens or likely to cause cancer.
This is not the first time that styrene has been cited in this way, and historically, when styrene's name comes up like this it is always followed by a flurry of misinformed criticism from various quarters, some through innocent error, and some no doubt circulated by those who might benefit from the public’s ignorance of the subject.
However, just a cursory review of the NTP’s findings shows that none of the headlines are justified.
John Bucher, associate director of the National Toxicology Program, clearly states: "A listing does not by itself mean that a substance will cause cancer. Many factors, including the amount and duration of exposure and an individual’s susceptibility to a substance, affect whether a person will develop cancer."
Styrene is a synthesized chemical used in rubber, plastic, fibreglass, food containers and carpet backing, though the general population is more likely to be exposed to styrene through smoking.
The report was careful to note that the substances in themselves do not cause cancer - rather, a series of factors like amount and duration of exposure, and individual susceptibility are taken into account.
Mr Butcher added: "We’re exposed to carcinogens every day all the time, from sunlight to alcoholic beverages. The purpose is to give people information to allow them to make choices."
In the US those who actually understand Styrene pointed out a few salient points. Cal Dooley, the president and CEO of American Chemistry Council, said: "Today's report made unfounded classifications of both formaldehyde and styrene and will unnecessarily alarm consumers."
Elsewhere, the American Composites Manufacturers Association said: "Exposure to styrene does not cause cancer in humans," and said that the process used to evaluate the substance was flawed and that the report threatened thousands of jobs in industries that use the chemical.
Indeed, the National Institutes of Health in the US, stressed that the listings do not mean that any exposure to the substances will cause cancer. Instead, it means that the latest scientific evidence indicates that the agents can cause cancer in some people exposed to enough of the compounds under the right circumstances. Most of the evidence for a cancer risk came from people exposed to relatively high levels in industrial settings.
At the same time we should not forget that we are just at the start of Wimbledon fortnight, and just how many strawberries will be consumed in the next few days. Strawberries are amongst a raft of foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, beverages and meats that contain styrene quite naturally. I, for one, will not be holding back on my strawberry intake this summer.
The NIH, in a press release, also noted: "Although styrene, a liquid, is used to make polystyrene, which is a solid plastic, we do not believe that people are at risk from using polystyrene products." Linda Birnbaum, director of the NIH, added: "In finished products, certainly styrene is not an issue."
As a manufacturer whose polystyrene products regularly appears in the consumers’ shopping bag LINPAC Packaging take the issues of health and safety very seriously - but crucially the manufacture of polystyrene trays for food contact is governed by a very carefully constructed raft of legislation which has been developed over many years, and which has been refined recently to take the form of the new Regulation EC10/2011, known as the Plastics Implementation Measure or PIM.
Amongst other things, the PIM regulation constrains and controls the tolerable levels of substances that are allowed to migrate into food without affecting food safety. These levels are set, substance by substance, according to the risks of the potential migrants.
Styrene is one such substance whose potential migration we test for routinely and levels are always found to be minute, close to the limit of detectability, and very comfortably below safe limits.
If, have reading any of the recent headlines in the US, you still have concerns about polystyrene our advice is look behind the headlines and you find a long list of caveats to such reports and a long line of industry experts which completely exonerate polystyrene from any potential risk to health. Let us know your thoughts...

By Alan Davey

New smarter electronic ordering systems

2011-05-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

We have launched two new electronic ordering systems which will improve customer service and dramatically cut the costs associated with keying errors.
The food packaging company has developed the systems in response to rising demand from customers to be able to place their orders electronically. Both services are free to LINPAC Packaging customers.
The smart Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) communicates directly with the customer’s existing stock control system, re-ordering products automatically as needed. The system is ideal for clients who regularly place large volume orders as there is no need to input any data or login to a website.
For small to medium-sized customers, the new online Customer Self-Service programme enables clients to log on to the LINPAConline website, create an account and configure a product list which includes the product code, description and pack size. Each time a new order is required, the customer can quickly and accurately select the quantity needed without having to manually input each piece of information every time. Customers can also check their order status and review invoice details by logging into their account.
Gerry O’Connor said: "These services are completely free and have been developed to improve the customer experience and to reduce costs to our customers and ourselves.
"Research has shown that human typing errors cost companies thousands of pounds each year. It typically costs us £50 to correct a single keying error. These systems have been developed to reduce that significantly and also reduce the amount of time needed to place an order, freeing up employees to do other activities.
"We are confident that the EDI and self-service ordering systems will take the hassle out of stock replenishment," said Mr O’Connor. "Customers will see a reduction in mistakes in orders and invoices as they will be able to see that information all in one place."
Customers around the world can be set up to use the new ordering systems and can select their preferred language when logging in to the self-service programme.

By Barbara Laing

Packaging CAN reduce food waste in Third World says EUROPEN

2011-05-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

The packaging industry and aid agencies should form a new public - private partnership to develop innovative packaging solutions to reduce the waste of food in developing countries, according to Julian Carroll, Managing Director of EUROPEN, the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment.
Speaking at the Save Food Congress, part of the packaging industry’s biggest trade fair Interpack, Mr Carroll highlighted the misconceptions about packaging and the lack of understanding by many policymakers of the valuable role packaging can play in reducing waste, and therefore promoting food availability. Referring to packaging as 'the Cinderella of the Food World,' Mr Carroll instead painted a picture of packaging playing a central role in answering the question ‘how do we feed the nine billion?"
Carroll directly confronted critiques of the industry by making the case for packaging’s role in reducing food waste and food loss, which according to the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology amounts to 2.3 billion tonnes of food a year. In India, for example, post-harvest food loss of fruits and vegetables can be as high as 50%, or 80 million tonnes, which is almost as high as the total production of fruit and vegetables in the European Union. The discarding of edible food throughout the EU amounts to 11% of total food production in Europe, or 89 million tonnes.
Carroll explained: "Let me put these numbers into perspective. In 2008, the total amount of food the world gave as food aid to poor countries amounted to 6.3 million tonnes. This is less than a tenth of the amount of food UK consumers alone threw away each year."
With the global population expected to rise to over nine billion people by 2050 and agricultural experts predicting a need to increase agricultural production by as much as 70% to feed the world, Carroll lamented the fact that packaging has never been considered by policymakers as part of the equation to address food security issues.
Therefore Carroll called on the packaging industry to join forces with aid agencies, policymakers, farmers and food processors to create a public private partnership that aims to further build packaging infrastructure in developing countries to reduce the amount of food wasted post-harvest, at market and among consumers. This will enable farmers to profit more from their harvest and increase the overall food basket of food in secure regions around the world.
"Let’s go on and work together to explore the formation of a public private partnership between aid agencies and the packaging industry aimed at delivering that help to build packaging infrastructure. It would be a win-win situation for both parties," said Carroll in the conclusion of his speech.
The rationale behind this approach is clear. Firstly, there are a range of very inexpensive packaging options that can help protect produce and dramatically reduce food loss, such as crates that protect fragile fruits and vegetables that can be used over and over again. Secondly, in the long-term, as consumers in developing and emerging economies become wealthier, they will be able to afford more packaged foods, which will help reduce food waste even more.
In his speech, Carroll likened the role packaging can play in addressing food security to the ability of sewage systems to improve overall health. Proper sewage has done more to extend life expectancy than all the miracles of modern medicine. Likewise, decent packaging is likely to make more food available to more people than expensive biotechnology.
"What is the point in devoting so much effort to produce more food, if that food rots or is thrown away? Why put millions of acres under the plough just to waste the resulting crop?" Carroll asked the audience.
Carroll also explained that by bringing to market new packaging innovations to reduce food waste in rich countries, these countries will need to import less food and could free up additional food to provide as food aid.

By LINPAC Packaging

Wilson gets his degree

2011-05-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Wilson Omorhodion Wajero, based at St Helens, who recently completed his Bachelor of Engineering of degree.
Wilson decided to go for the degree to advance his career within LINPAC. He achieved his degree through the Open University, having worked in the engineering industry since 1994 in varying roles from overhauling technician to maintenance manager. He finished a Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 and then in 2007 he obtained a Diploma in Systems Thinking (Managing Complexity) en route to his degree.
Wilson said: "All of my colleagues at the site have been really supportive throughout my studies and encouraged me to do well.
"I would recommend it to anyone who wants to do the same. The degree has given me a lot of self confidence and esteem among family, friends, and colleagues and has also given me an opportunity to progress my career even further.
"I am presently considering going for a Masters programme in Operational Management."

By LINPAC Packaging

Alan conquers Kilimanjaro

2011-05-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

Alan Davey, Innovations Manager, took up a mountainous challenge when he donned his hiking boots and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the Meningitis Trust recently. At nearly 6000m, 'Kili' is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.
Alan received incredible support from over 100 colleagues at LINPAC, some of them donating over £100 for the worthy cause.
Alan flew out to Moshi in Tanzania after spending four months training for the event, which included running and walking on a daily basis as well as other activities such as football to prepare for the challenge.
The trek took six days in total, walking between six and 17 hours a day and covering a gruelling 60 miles walking at a very slow pace due to the terrain and lack of oxygen.
Alan said: "It really was an incredible experience. The climb took us through a range of very different climates. On the first day we were trekking through rainforest, it was very hot and sticky. On the second day the land was full of strange scrub and then above 4000 metres, it became very dry and dusty, almost like a moonscape.
"It was worth all the effort and training, we raised a lot of money and I have had one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life. I would recommend it to anyone."
Alan himself raised almost £5000 and the group he completed the challenge with, consisting of 32 people, raised £120,000 for the Meningitis Trust.
Alan said: "I’d like to thank everyone at Linpac who has supported me so generously in this adventure and in turn have helped the Meningitis Trust do its valuable work. It’s a very worthy cause and it’s great that we have been able to raise so much money, through your amazing generosity."

By LINPAC Packaging

Packaging booming in China

2011-04-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

China's packaging industry had a booming year in 2010 with a gross industrial output of 1.2 trillion yuan, according to a report released by the China Packaging Federation in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.
The packaging industry grew significantly in 2010, particularly those companies operating in export-related commodities, said Zhang Yaoquan, deputy director of the China Packaging Federation. Zhang made the remarks at the 2011 Continuous Packaging and Small-and-Medium-Sized Enterprises Development Forum.
The packaging industry did particularly well in five of China's provinces: Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong, Jiangsu - where LINPAC Packaging has a production plant - and Fujian.
Linpac has invested substantially in a modern production plant at Changzhou in Jiangsu province, about 150km from Shanghai, where we manufacture high-quality PVC stretch wrap film for food packaging. Employing 60 permanent staff, the facility has been purpose-built on a 20 000 sq metre site, with the capacity for extension to 50,000 sq metres if required. It was officially opened on 12 June 2008.
Packaging companies in China's Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Sea Region accounted for about 90 percent of the industry's gross output in China.
This development is complimentary to China's goal of rejuvenating its industrial bases in northeast China. Packaging companies in China's northeast and southwest regions are expected to see positive growth over the next few years.

By Barbara Laing

Get ready for the barbecue season

2011-04-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

We are warming up for the barbecue season and urging retailers to ensure their food offering for the season looks appetising and tempting to customers.
We have a range of trays for packers and retailers to choose from which we designed especially for the barbecue season. Burgers, sausages, chicken and kebabs will stay fresher for longer when wrapped in LINPAC products, giving a tastier product once cooked.
Each year the company revamps the range with new trays for burgers and sausages and two new meat ball trays to ensure customers have as wide a choice as possible to present their barbecue food products. Where possible, the trays have been designed for more than one product to give retailers and packers the flexibility to offer consumers a mix of products.
We have designed the barbecue trays, which are available in clear or black, with the environment in mind as the majority of the range is manufactured in rPET. Trays are available for both MAP and overwrap applications and not only look good on the shelf but also prevent leakage of marinades and sauces. Trays are adaptable and can incorporate an absorbent base to keep unsightly juices locked away.
We are also unique in offering matching films, which are designed to be compatible with the trays for optimum sealing.
LINPAC’s BBQ range is available in a variety of sizes and depths - find out more here.
All our products are available within excellent delivery times from our factories, giving you both security of consistent supply and the ability to buy different volumes( subject to minimum order quantities) to satisfy your needs over an unpredictable summer period.

By Barbara Laing

Backing new recycling initiative

2011-04-07T03:53:00.000-07:00

At LINPAC Packaging we thoroughly back the Packaging & Films Association which has welcomed the initiative by Britain’s biggest retailers to collect thin plastic packaging alongside plastic carrier bags for recycling.
In a recent article in Packaging News PAFA chief executive Barry Turner said: "Plastic film packaging helps save food waste by protecting and preserving products and we have always had the technology to recycle it.
"Now, through this initiative by major retailers, the consumer has a real opportunity to boost plastic film recycling by placing film wrappings - including everything from bread bags to toilet roll and kitchen roll wrap as well as unwanted carrier bags - into the recycling bin whenever they go shopping."
PAFA said that the British Retail Consortium initiative has been made possible by the increase in the number of recycling bins for plastic carrier bags at supermarkets which has now grown to more than 4,500 collection points across the UK.
"In spite of the fact that local authorities are reluctant to collect thin packaging films from households or at the kerbside, this retailer initiative now means that the opportunity to recover the value from lightweight protective plastic film is within everyone’s reach," said Barry.
"It means that no-one should worry about the environmental credentials of plastic packaging in the future if they stick to the practice of reduce, re-use and recycle.
"This will be a major step in killing the long-standing myth that plastic films cannot be recycled. In fact such packaging can now be viewed as a ‘borrowed resource’ which is easily converted into other useful products after it has served its initial purpose of protecting goods throughout the supply chain into the home."

By LINPAC Packaging

Polystyrene: The truth is out there!

2011-04-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

There is a rumour abroad in Scandinavia just now to the effect that polystyrene contains “toxic” materials.

We have heard scares of this type before, but they are universally found to have no validity.

Polystyrene foam is unfortunately one of those materials linked in people’s minds to fast food, the throw-away society, waste and profligacy in general. For that reason it is a material that people love to fire bullets at and look for spurious reasons why it should not exist.

As often in these cases, the truth is rather different.

As with all plastics food packaging, the constitution and the manufacture of polystyrene is closely constrained by stringent pan-European regulations that dictate what can be included in plastic food packaging and what can not.

These regulations were updated as recently as January of 2011

Only permitted substances can be used in the manufacture of polystyrene (as with any other type of plastic packaging). The permitted substances are rigorously screened and tested for suitability in making materials that will come into contact with food. Unsuitable materials, and there are several, are not permitted.

So, in short, polystyrene raw material is made with vetted, safe, wholesome, starting materials. Furthermore, the use of toxic or carcinogenic materials, in any amount, is specifically prohibited by these regulations.

Like any other processor, LINPAC Packaging converts the polystyrene resin into finished packaging products. Once again these are subject to a carefully constructed regime of good manufacturing practice to ensure that they cannot be made in such a way as to create any toxic by-products.

Finally, the European Law provides for a system of routine migration testing which is related to the proposed method of use. This ensures that no significant or worrisome amounts of any kind of undesirable materials can transmit to foodstuff contained within the finished packaging.

This test for migration into food is controlled by a test regime laid down by the same harmonised, pan-European regulations.

These tests accurately mimic the real behaviour of foam in contact with food and were further strengthened in the new revision of January.

LINPAC Packaging’s foam polystyrene products always pass with flying colours.

Most likely the rumours coming out of Scandinavia are put about by manufacturers of rigid trays who love to "bash" foam because they know it is in truth the most suitable form of packaging for many applications. Just consider these benefits:

lowest carbon,
lightest weight
free of taint and odour
insulating and energy saving
highly protective.

Foam, like PVC, is one of those materials that is conceptually tied up with the "plastic, fast food " lifestyle, and as a result there are a lot of “trolls” ready to decry foam. However, if you look at the facts – the truth points only to the benefits of foam.

By Alan Davey

Prestigious Award for LINPAC Packaging’s Outstanding Achiever

2011-03-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to LINPAC Packaging’s Food Service Manager David Marshall who has received the top award at the recent Foodservice Packaging Association’s award ceremony recognising the work he has done in the industry for over 30 years.
David Marshall, who has worked at LINPAC Packaging for 36 years, took home the Chairman’s Award for his outstanding contribution, dedication and support to the food service packaging industry.
David said: "It’s a real honour to be given such an award. I’ve worked in this business for many years so I am proud to receive such a prestigious award recognising my contribution from my peers in the industry. The FPA Awards are a great way to reward hardworking people in the industry and something I look forward to attending each year."
David went on to praise the work and commitment from the people that have worked within his teams over these years and is a firm believer that it is the team ethos that gets rewarded with success.
He said: "With the challenging times we are both facing, customer and supplier relationships are more important than ever especially in the areas or economic and environmental sustainability. It is vital that these relationships continue to grow and partnerships thrive to provide the best service to our industry."
The FPA Awards night proved everyone’s a winner with almost 400 attending the ceremony and dinner at Manchester’s historic Midland Hotel - the largest ever FPA Awards event.
Retiring Chairman Greg Fitchett said: "Each award was highly contested and judging was tough. The Charity Raffle raised over £4,000 for industry charities Hospitality Action and Springboard."
Incoming Chairman Neil Whittall added: "The FPA is a thriving, relevant association offering real value to its members. We are looking forward to continuing the FPA’s strong growth."

By LINPAC Packaging

MaxiLIN gets a makeover

2011-03-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

At LINPAC Packaging we have given one of our most popular stretch films a makeover.
We have designed a new dispenser for our MaxiLIN film pack, giving it a more contemporary look and improving on its practicality - it is easy to use, moisture resistant and small enough to be carried anywhere.
The new design, which has been patented, is available in silver and white and can hold up to 120m of film - equivalent to three or four traditional household rolls - making it ideal for use in a professional kitchen and by large-scale caterers.
MaxiLIN is a hygienic, disposable, hand-held dispenser pack which is one of our most popular film products for those working in the food service sector.
The patented safety blade design makes it easy and safe to use, preventing injuries to users’ fingers. The new pack is manufactured at our Pontivy site in France. The team there are experts in their field when it comes to designing innovative products which preserve and protect food items.
As MaxiLIN is one of our most popular films and is a well-established accessory in many professional kitchens, we didn’t want to change it completely but we felt it was time to give it a more modern look to keep it looking attractive and appealing to our customers.

Megan Ashcroft

Packaging industry welcomes Budget

2011-03-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

The packaging industry has welcomed the Chancellor’s second Budget and said that George Osborne’s proposals will encourage the sector to grow.
The British Plastics Federation director general Peter Davies said: "There is much to welcome here, which will assist plastics manufacturing to grow. The BPF has a Climate Change Agreement with the Government.
"We welcome the extension of them till 2023 but it is important that our large scheme continues to deliver energy reduction."
In their submission to the Chancellor the BPF coordinated seven Association Alliance of polymer related interest groups called for and got the following measures:

A substantial improvement up to 200% in the R&D credits for smaller companies to stimulate innovation;
An increase in funding for 80,000 more apprenticeship places to meet the UK’s skilled labour needs;
More Government assistance for export promotion and export credits; and
Corporation tax cut by 2% in April not 1% as previously planned.

BPF corporate affairs director Andrew Brown said that the extension to the Climate Change Agreements to 2023 and increase in CCA levy discount for those who sign up from 65% to 80% (from 2013) will help the more energy-intensive companies that are members of the Sector CCA that BPIF manages (the 13th largest out of 54 such schemes).
He added: "CCAs have been under review and earlier this year we had voiced concern to DECC that the loss of the climate change levy rebate it provides would be bad news for the profitability of the 240 companies on our scheme, most of whom are in internationally-competitive sectors such as books, magazines and cartons.
"The companies covered by the printing sector CCA have between them have some 44% of the total turnover of the UK printing industry between them."

By LINPAC Packaging

Packaging waste trimmed by £2.5bn

2011-03-23T04:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to new innovations in packaging, grocery shelves are a bit lighter now - and so are landfills.
Food and beverage makers slashed packaging waste by £1.5bn since 2005 and expect to eliminate another £2.5bn of it from the supply chain by 2020, according to a new report from the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
Companies saved £800m of plastic and £500m of paper through changes such as redesigned packages and an increased use of post-consumer recycled materials.
"But the benefits go far beyond that," GMA senior director of energy and environmental policy John Shanahan said in a statement. "Companies are reporting that packaging improvements are also enabling them to ship more units per truckload, reduce green house gas emissions and conserve resources such as water and energy."
Cutting packaging waste by the projected £4bn total - which represents a 19 per cent drop in reporting companies’ average US packaging weight - would avoid CO2 emissions equal to removing 815,000 car from the road for one year, GMA said.
The full report is available here.

By LINPAC Packaging

UK at a competitive disadvantage

2011-03-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

The BPF coordinated Seven Association Alliance has written a hard-hitting letter to the Chancellor, George Osbourne, highlighting a myriad of issues currently placing the UK Manufacturing industry at an economic disadvantage and putting forward proposals to the Chancellor of the Exchequer ahead of the Budget this week.
The Seven Association Alliance comprises the following associations: The British Plastics Federation (BPF), British Rubber & Polyurethane Products Association (BRPPA), British Coatings Federation (BCF), Packaging & Films Association (PAFA), Gauge & Toolmakers Association (GTMA), Scottish Plastics & Rubber Association (SPRA) and Northern Ireland Polymers Association (NIPA).
According to industry, high taxation and burdensome regulations have placed the UK at a competitive disadvantage and created a barrier to inward investment. Results from surveys with member firms indicate that a majority of companies predict an increase in UK sales turnover this year. However the volume increase is about a third less due to the need for companies to pass through raw material prices increases.
"In comparison to last year, there is a slightly reduced feeling of optimism in the UK Manufacturing industry mainly due to raw material prices increases coupled with difficulties in accessing supplies of certain key materials, the increase in VAT and the effect of public sector reductions," said Peter Davis, BPF Director-General.
The Alliance pointed out that another barrier to rapid industrial recovery and competiveness of the manufacturing industry is the high level of fuel duty; the UK has the highest diesel fuel duty in the EU and the price increase to 5p a litre in April would present another block on our competiveness. They strongly urged the Chancellor to cancel the April duty increase.
UK Carbon Reduction Regulations have become highly complicated and burdensome. The Alliance commended the new Government’s attempts to simplify measures inherited from the previous Government and called for the discontinuation of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).
The Alliance said: "We are most unhappy that the proceeds from the unwieldy and complex Carbon Reduction Commitment are going straight to the Treasury thus turning it into a second tax on business energy use, on top of Climate Change Levy (CCL). We question whether there is much joined up thinking between the reviews of CCL, CRC, and Climate Change Agreements. We believe CRC should be scrapped."
The Alliance welcomed the Trade and Investment White Paper which offers more export support for SME firms, a stronger relationship with key exporters and better access to trade finance. They also welcomed the Secretary of State for Business’ decision to scrap the extension of workers rights to request training in smaller companies from April and the decision to raise the threshold at which employers start to pay NICS.

By Barbara Laing

A new approach to sustainability

2011-03-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

A new study of INCPEN members’ commitment to sustainability, conducted by specialist environmental consultants AEA Technology, shows that compared to an earlier 2006 study there have been major improvements in a number of areas and companies are tackling more issues.
Driving Sustainability: A survey of INCPEN members - which included LINPAC Packaging - shows that companies recognise that sustainability is about more than environmental improvement. It’s about social and economic issues as well.
It is no longer enough for a company to rest on its laurels by claiming high recycling rates, or the use of low energy light bulbs. INCPEN members have adopted sophisticated environmental management systems to assess and continuously improve their performance, which they publish for public scrutiny.
This holistic approach and life cycle thinking helps avoid shifting environmental impact from one part of the supply chain, or one type of impact, to another and prevents unintended consequences.
Companies are continuing to make improvements in raw material use, energy use, recycling, use of recycled materials, water consumption, waste, transport efficiencies and greenhouse gas emissions.
On average each INCPEN member reduced waste by 7.7%, water consumption by 5.3% and CO2 emissions by 1.8% each year, since the 2006 report. In addition:

74% of members are working to encourage consumers to act more sustainably
63% of members have policies on sustainable sourcing for their suppliers

Case studies in the report show a number of the benefits of ongoing improvement:

liquid by-products of manufacturing are being converted into a gas that can be used to replace fossil fuels
the creation of a ‘best practice’ platform for sharing agricultural experience between competing food-sector companies enabled pilot projects to test innovations
forming partnerships with local authorities to support and expand recycling
updating a manufacturing process to remove one particular stage, resulting in both energy savings and waste avoidance.

As more and more companies improve their systems, this success will continue to be built on in coming years. You can read the whole report here.

By LINPAC Packaging

Roland takes top European role

2011-03-14T04:18:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to announce the appointment of a new Vice President of the company’s two film sites in Pontivy and Dalidet in France.
Roland Castellanos takes up the role immediately and will ensure LINPAC Packaging maintains its position as the market leader in manufacturing plastic film for the food industry in France. The Pontivy site has become a European Centre of Excellence for the production of packaging film following huge investment by LINPAC Packaging.
Roland has worked in the packaging industry for more than 26 years, previously working for Mobil before joining LINPAC in 1999. He has extensive knowledge and experience of LINPAC Packaging’s processes and will continue in his current roles as manager of the film operation in America and manager of LINPAC Packaging in Pravia, Spain.
David Meldram, Managing Director of LINPAC Packaging, said: "Roland has demonstrated his abilities and strengths while working in Spain and America. He has a wealth of skills and experience to lead our sites in France and take them into further growth while focusing on delivering superior products and service to our customers."
Roland tells us: "Our French film plants are in a strong position. LINPAC Packaging strives to remain at the forefront of product innovation and technology. I am committed to ensuring the company continues to be a market leader in film production, delivering novel packaging solutions to our customers."

By LINPAC Packaging

Alcampo gets smart with LINPAC

2011-03-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Shoppers at one of Spain’s largest supermarket chains Alcampo will easily see the freshness and quality of their dessert choice after LINPAC Packaging secured an order for their brand new LINbake SmartBox.
We have designed and manufactured two bespoke sizes and styles of the SmartBox for Alcampo supermarkets. The range offers retailers a unique packaging solution which ensures maximum impact in presentation and strong branding opportunities, without compromising on product protection and environmental concerns.
The SmartBox gives shoppers a clear view of the product and reassurance it will be well protected on the journey home, so it looks as good on their table as it does in the shop. The cake or gateaux is secured on a PET base which not only assists in the packing process but offers the consumer ease of removal from the pack and can double as a serving platter.
The traditional ‘home-made’ look of the SmartBox adds value to the product and is ideally suited to in-store patisseries assembling gateaux’s and cakes in front of customers as well as for pre-packed items.
Manufactured in Pravia, the SmartBox kits have been designed to ensure they are easy and quick to construct and are supplied as flat packs with stacked lids for easy storage.
Special air flow grooves between the base and the PET lid allow air to circulate freely which prevents condensation in the pack and the cartonboard has been treated so that it is suitable for both chiller cabinets and the freezer.
The SmartBox has also been designed with the environment in mind, potentially eliminating the packaging waste destined for landfill. As well as being available with a lid made with post consumer recycled PET, both the cardboard base and lid are easily recycled.
The SmartBox range is available in two standard print designs to enhance the look and feel of the box but retailers and packers can create their own eye-catching and bespoke designs.

The five easy steps for constructing the SmartBox:
1.    Click the edges of the box together which will automatically lock in position
2.    Fold in the small edges
3.    Slide the pastry into the box
4.    Apply the lid
5.    Fold up the outer sides to lock the lid in place.

Diego Fernandez, bakery sales manager at LINPAC Packaging said: "Product presentation and protection is very important to consumers when purchasing products and our SmartBox range is ideal for items such as gateaux and other cakes. It provides products with an attractive and protective package which can be branded to entice the customer to purchase, while its simple construction is a simple operation for retailers to carry out in-store.
"We are extremely pleased to have been able to deliver a packaging solution to Alcampo which is unique and eye-catching, perfect for them to display their premium cakes in."
We are a leading supplier of food packaging products to the Spanish and Portuguese markets, with manufacturing sites at Pravia and Valencia in Spain and Ovar in Portugal. The company is a multi material packaging supplier to the protein, bakery, fresh produce and foodservice markets across Europe and beyond, working with customers to offer consumer focused packaging solutions.

By Megan Ashcroft

What’s cooking at chippie exhibition?

2011-03-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

We attended the Henry Colbeck What’s Cooking? Fish & Chip and Fast Food exhibition to showcase our HOTpac and catering trays range to more than 2,000 visitors. Hundreds of fish and chip shop takeaway and restaurant owners attended the day-long event.
LINPAC Packaging has worked with the fish and chip shop industry for more than 40 years, developing and supplying innovative packaging solutions which are fit-for-purpose and cost-effective.
Made out of EPS foam, LINPAC Packaging’s HOTpacs and catering trays are lightweight and have the lowest carbon footprint compared to other packaging options. They offer excellent presentation and value for money. Special airflow technology in HOTpacs keeps food warm and crispy for longer, helping to ensure the customer can enjoy their food just as it was when it was served in the shop.
The exhibition had a great turnout and provided us with an excellent opportunity to meet our customers and talk to them about the products we have to offer and find out what their needs are in terms of packaging for their fish and chips.
We have some fantastic products for takeaway owners to consider and exhibitions like this offer us a great chance to show them to the people who make the decisions. Speaking to our customers face to face is a key aspect in how we go about developing our products. At LINPAC we have to ensure that we are making products which the customer requires and there is no better way to find that out than at events like this.
We also handed out leaflets about the environmental impact of various types of fish and chip packaging which were well received by the visitors.

By Barbara Laing

Welcome to LINPAC Packaging's blog

2011-03-10T04:41:00.001-08:00

Welcome to LINPAC Packaging’s blog – one of many mediums we now used to communicate with our customers, partners and colleagues.
The LINPAC Packaging blog provides the team at LINPAC with a platform to tell you about developments at the company and our thoughts on the retail and packaging industry … in fact, anything that takes our fancy. As always we would welcome your comments so don’t be shy!
Weblogs, or blogs, are rapidly becoming a critical part of corporate communications strategies. More than 100 million blogs exist already, and as a company that prides itself on innovation we are keen to embrace all forms of communication. So you can now keep up to date on what’s happening at LINPAC Packaging by subscribing to our RSS feed (click on the little orange icon in your brower) – you can also follow us on Twitter and Linkedin.
Their will be wide range of authors writing for our blog and will include:

Adam Barnett, Vice President Sales, Marketing & Innovation

Alan Davey, Director of Innovation

Chris Horton, Vice President Operations

Mark Reynolds, HSHE & Energy Manager

Megan Ashcroft, European Foodservice Marketing Manager

Barbara Laing, Communications Manager

LINPAC Packaging’s Blogging Policy
It is our policy to review all comments before publishing them, partly to reduce the possibility of spam comments and partly to ensure comments are in line with our list of blogger ethics below. These are based on recognised corporate blogging guidelines and code of ethics:
1.    We will tell the truth. We will acknowledge and correct any mistakes promptly.
2.    We will not delete comments unless they are spam, off-topic, or defamatory.
3.    We will reply to comments when appropriate as promptly as possible.
4.    We will link to online references and original source materials directly.
5.    We will disagree with other opinions respectfully.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is managed on behalf of LINPAC Packaging by GREEN Communications.

By LINPAC Packaging